Headlight



(No Model.) y A J.- F. MURPHY.

. HBADLIGHT.

N0. 498,443. Patented MayBO, 1893.

MII/4. I

UNITED STATES JAMES F. MURPHY, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA.

PATENT OFFICE.

H'EADLIG HT.

SPECIFIGATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 498,443, dated May 30, 1893. Application tiled January 21. 1893. Serial No. 459,184. (No model.)

To ali whom t may concern,.-

Be it known thatl, JAMES F. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Michigan City, in the county of La Porte and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Headlight, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in head lights.

The object of thepresent invention is to provide an attachment for locomotive head lights, whereby a danger or other signal may be instantly displayed by the engineer.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended. I

In the drawings-Figure 1 is aperspective View of a head light constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawlugs.

1 designates ,a locomotive headlight, comprising a casing of the usual form, and a conical reflector 3 arranged in rear of a circular` glass plate 4 through which a light back of the conical reflector is exposed. The casing is provided at the right hand side with a door 5 by means of which access may beY had to the interior of the casing. The conical reflector is provided in its upper face with a slot 6 adapted to receive a colored glass 7, preferably red, to permit the same to be interposed between the light and the front of the casing to expose a colored signal. When the colored glass plate is arranged in the slot it is located directly in front of the light at the back of the reflector. The colored glass plate is arranged in a circular frame 8, which is secured to the lower end of a piston 9, and the latter has a head 10 arranged in a cylinder 11 extending upward from the top of the casing at one side thereof. The top of the cylinder is threaded and receives a screw cap 12, which is provided with a tube 13 and which is adapted to be connected with the main air reservoir of a locomotive or with any other suitable source of iiuid pressure, whereby when the piston is subjected to such pressure it will descend and insert the colored trans-l parent plate in the slot of the conical refiector. As soon as the piston is relieved of the pressure it will be raised by means of a spiral spring 14 disposed on the upper portion of the piston and interposed between the bottom of 1 the cylinder and the piston head.

It will be seen that the attachment to head lights is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is positive and reliable, and that it will enable a danger signal to be instantly displayed at the headlight of a locomotive.

Changesin the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacriticing any of the advantages of this-invention.

The cylinder may be duplicated to enable a black disk, or one which is not transparent, to be arranged directly in front of the lamp to shut off the light from the head-light ofv the locomotive as is often necessary and desirable, for instance, when an engine is standing on a siding waiting for another train to pass. is not in motion should not show a head-light, as this would interfere with the sight of the engineer of an approaching train.

The frame 8 is provided at its lower edge with a cushion 15 of rubber or other elastic material to prevent injury to the reflector should the glass 7 be carelessly lowered.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a head light provided in its retlectorwith a slot, of a piston provided at itsinner end with acolored transparent plate and havinga piston head at its outer end, a cylinder receiving the piston head, and means for operating the piston, whereby the colored transparent plate may be exposed in the reflector and withdrawn therefrom, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a locomotive head At such a time, the locomotive which light provided in its reliector with a slot, of a cylinder mounted on the casing of the head light and designed to be connected at its outer end with Ya suitable supply of Huid under pressure, a piston having a piston head arranged within the cylinder and provided at itsinner end with a colored transparent plate arranged opposite the slot in the reiector,

and a spring for moving the piston outward, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a head-light provided in its reeetor with a slot, of a piston provided at its inner end with a plate adapted to be arranged in front of the light, a piston head at the outer end of the piston, a cylinder receiving the piston head, and means for operating the piston, whereby the plate may be arranged in front of the light and re- Io moved therefrom, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ownl have hereto axed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES F. MURPHY.

Witnesses:

Z. T. HOSTETTER, JARED `l-I. ORR. 

